Update provided courtesy of MCHS
LIFT Celebrates One Year
We're thrilled to mark the one-year anniversary of LIFT (Landlord Incentives to Foster Tenancy) -- our landlord incentive program designed to strengthen housing stability through flexible funding, quicker lease-ups, and strong partnerships. Partners can stay tuned for our annual report and updates at www.LIFTMKE.com.
Inspection Updates
Beginning October 1st, 2025, Milwaukee County Housing services is transitioning from Housing Quality Standards (HQS) to NSPIRE. As part of this change, we want to highlight a major update for all housing providers. A smoke detector installed outside of a sleeping room within 6 feet of the bedroom, will no longer be acceptable during inspection. The new standards require that all sleeping rooms must have a 10-year sealed battery smoke detector installed. This is in addition to already required smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
Upcoming Housing Provider Town Hall
Let's connect! Come here from our Supportive Housing Case Management team at our next virtual town hall is happening Tuesday, July 15th at 10am. We'll discuss and learn about case management and other mental health services available to Milwaukee County residents.
Register Here
By Kirsten Fagerland Pezewski, Attorney
CITY OF MILWAUKEE’S PROPOSED HOUSING ELEMENT PLAN: A plan to increase housing in the City of Milwaukee that affects property owners and developers.
We are writing today to talk about the City of Milwaukee’s Proposed Housing Element Plan. Any owners or developers interested in City of Milwaukee properties should be interested in this plan.
This project has been in motion since 2023, and is currently in the adoption process. The “final draft” of the plan is dated June 9, 2025.
On July 8, 2025, the Common Council’s Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee recommended approval of the ordinance adopting Milwaukee’s Comprehensive Plan: Housing Element as part of Milwaukee’s overall Comprehensive Plan.
The summary shows two “near term” strategies: (1) update the zoning code to allow more neighborhood scale housing in more neighborhoods (allowing detached homes, townhouses, ADUs and cottage courts in all neighborhoods); and (2) adjust the zoning code to remove barriers to new housing by relying on height, setback and design requirements as opposed to mathematical equations to control the numbers of housing units.
The plan does touch on renters and therefore on property owners. However, the plan is largely about re-envisioning Milwaukee’s zoning and planning rules to encourage housing-friendly growth which goes hand in hand with walkable neighborhoods, group homes, homes for all ages and stages, multigenerational families, etc. As such, the plan may be of interest to members that are interested in development, and the plan may hold information regarding programs and services that, while chiefly directed more to homeowners, may provide opportunities for members interested in development as well.
There are seven key priorities including an emphasis on building repair, intergovernmental collaboration and legislative advocacy which increases accountability for property owners and enacting legislation protecting tenant rights, and a city commitment to “anti-displacement” which does not, in the summary, refer to anti-eviction measures, but does in the plan.
Of note, this plan is an update to the “Comprehensive Plan” to support evolving housing needs, and earlier drafts were entitled “Growing Milwaukee”. Members may be familiar with information attached to the earlier plans.
The first one-third of the report is background material. There are interesting statistics regarding Milwaukee Housing and rental housing in Milwaukee. For instance, when housing was built and in what areas of the city, and the numbers of units of differing types built over time. It shows 58% of Milwaukeeans are renters, for example.
The plan shows various “themes” from public comments. Owner-related are the following: anti-displacement of renters and homeowners; “Fair & Quality Housing Conditions”—residents would like city officials to hold “bad” landlords accountable to provide fair and quality housing for all residents; “Accountability & Speculation”—residents would like city officials to hold absentee landlords accountable and discourage predatory and speculative investment in homes.
The plan discusses “Goals & Policies” of the City of Milwaukee including the following:
This does provide insight into tenant rights’ packages for which the City of Milwaukee may be advocating. Members should continue to be aware of local housing and legal trends.
Information provided from HACM (Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee)
July Virtual Information Session
Click here to join the meeting
Prefer to call-in only (no video)?
Update: Recertification and Lease Renewal Processing
We understand that some of you may have now exceeded the 90-day extended payment period. As a reminder, property owners will continue to receive payments for up to three (3) months after the lease expiration date. Rest assured, we are working diligently to complete these recertifications and resume regular payments as quickly as possible. Once a tenant's lease renewal is finalized, a copy will be sent to both parties. At that time, any necessary payment adjustments, retroactive to the renewal date, will be made.
Thank you for your continued patience as we work through our backlog of tenant recertifications. We truly appreciate your understanding.
Direct Deposit Now Required for July 2025 and Following Payments
As was first announced in January, and in each monthly communication since, beginning July 1, 2025, HACM will only issue Housing Assistance Payments through direct deposit. Therefore, if you are a property owner/manager and have yet to set up Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) via your Landlord Portal account, we are holding your check for July here at our office.
Did you miss the Town Hall which discussed the Opportunity MKE program?
Here's a flyer that explains what was discussed.
High-opportunity generally means neighborhoods with high performing schools, access to employment, low rates of violent crime, and access to other amenities like parks and grocery stores.
Want more information on this program?
Visit the Website Here
From: Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM)
June Virtual Information Session
Notice: HUD Mandate for Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Effective immediately, all sleeping rooms within units on the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program as well as living rooms, dining rooms and each floor of a unit must have a 10-year sealed battery smoke detector installed in order to pass a HACM-conducted inspection. In addition, 10-year sealed battery carbon monoxide detectors must be on each floor and within 21 feet of any gas appliance.
This is a HUD mandate that went into effect on December 29, 2024 and is part of the new NSPIRE Standards — most of which are set to go into effect October 1, 2025. For more information, see NSPIRE Standards | HUD.gov / U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Note: A smoke detector installed outside of a sleeping room (i.e., in the hallway, within 6 feet of the bedroom) will no longer receive a pass rating during inspection. Also, if the living room and dining room are adjoined, only one smoke detector is required for both rooms.
Direct Deposit Only for All July 2025 Payments
As was first announced in January, and in each monthly communication since, beginning July 1, 2025, HACM will only issue Housing Assistance Payments through direct deposit. Therefore, if you are a property owner/manager and have yet to set up Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) via your Landlord Portal account, you must do so no later than June 23 in order to receive your HAP in July.
We ask for your continued patience as we work through our backlog of recertifications. Landlords will continue to receive payments for 3 months after the lease expired under the terms of the expiring leases. When the tenant’s lease renewal is complete, a copy will be sent to both parties and any payment adjustments going back to the renewal date will be made at that time.
Landlord Portal: New Features Now Available
Great news! The next time you log into the Landlord Portal, not only will you be able to access real-time information about your HACM HCV Program account, but you will also be able to view inspection reports and submit rent increase requests, if eligible ... all without having to call, email or come into the office.
Inspection Reports are now available via the 'Attachments' icon on your dashboard. These are typically posted the next business day following the inspection.
To submit a Rent Increase Request, simply click the 'Rent Increase Request' icon on your dashboard (see image below) and follow the on-screen instructions.
By Mike Scarcella, Reuters
Read Full Article Here
A U.S. federal appeals court ruled Friday that the United States must face potentially billions of dollars in legal claims over a temporary ban on residential evictions during the COVID pandemic that affected millions of landlords.
The Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in a 7-3 decision, opens new tab rejected the government's bid to overturn a decision by a panel of judges last year that refused to dismiss claims from landlords seeking compensation over the eviction moratorium.
Damages have been estimated at tens of billions of dollars, as rental property owners were blocked from evicting people who were not paying rent.
By Atty. Gary D. Koch of Pettit Law Group S.C.
See the Full Article on Tristan's Blog Here
If you are a landlord in Wisconsin, you’ve no doubt heard about the Koble Investments case now pending before the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
Since the decision was published, Koble successfully petitioned the Wisconsin Supreme Court to review, and hopefully overturn, the Court of Appeals decision.
Several interested entities, who are not parties to the action, have asked the Supreme Court to allow them to file Amicus, or “friend of the court”, Briefs to help guide the Supreme Court through the complicated issues and their potential ramifications on Wisconsin’s Landlord / Tenant landscape.
After June 9, the Supreme Court will likely schedule the case for oral argument, where the parties’ attorneys will present their arguments to the Court and field questions from the Justices regarding their positions. After oral argument, the Supreme Court will issue an Opinion.
There is no time frame for the Court to schedule oral argument or issue its Opinion, so we will continue to monitor the case and provide updates as it progresses.
By Hope Karnopp, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Republicans leading the bill say business and property owners have reported higher cases of emotional support and service animal misrepresentation, with owners using fake harnesses or vests.
The bill would enshrine in law landlords' ability to ask tenants for documentation showing a prescription for an emotional support animal. Tenants who provide false documentation or health care providers who don't have a 30-day, established relationship with the patient could face a $500 fine.
When: May 20, 2025 at 10:00am - 11:00am
Where: Virtual Online Meeting
Agenda: Presentation from Mediate Wisconsin, Milwaukee Justice Center, and Rental Housing Resource Center on eviction alternatives and legal resources for housing providers in Milwaukee County.
REGISTER HERE
What's happening in other states may alarm you.
Here are 2 bills introduced in Massachusetts:
HB1901: Fining Landlords for Tenant Drug Use
House Bill 1901 would impose fines on landlords if tenants use or store illegal drugs on their properties, regardless of whether the landlord is aware of the activity. This measure seeks to curb drug-related issues in rental properties by holding property owners accountable. Critics argue that penalizing landlords without their knowledge is unjust and could discourage property investment or lead to overly intrusive tenant monitoring. Supporters claim it incentivizes landlords to maintain safer environments, though the bill’s lack of clarity on enforcement or landlord protections remains contentious.
HB2246: Landlord Liability for Police Responses
House Bill 2246 goes further, making landlords financially responsible for the costs of police responses to their properties, no matter who initiates the call or the reason behind it. This could include incidents ranging from domestic disputes to noise complaints, even if the landlord has no control over the situation. Proponents argue that this bill encourages landlords to screen tenants more carefully and address issues proactively. However, opponents warn that it could unfairly burden landlords with unpredictable costs, particularly in high-crime areas, and may deter property owners from renting to certain tenants or operating in vulnerable neighborhoods.
Here is a bill introduced in Illinois:
HB3564: Amends the Landlord and Tenant Act
Prohibits a landlord from imposing a move-in fee. Provides that a landlord may not demand any charge for the processing, reviewing, or accepting of an application, or demand any other payment, fee, or charge before or at the beginning of the tenancy. Limits late fees to $10 for the first $1000 in monthly rent, and then 5% for everything more than $1000.
Here is what's happening in Washington:
Washington Joins Ranks of States Enacting Statewide Rent Control
Washington State has approved a new rent control measure, capping annual rent increases at the lesser of 7% plus inflation or 10%, with stricter limits for manufactured housing.
The law exempts buildings less than 12 years old and is paired with expanded tax incentives for developers focused on affordable housing.
Read the Full Article Here
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